NERVI 03 Founded in 1906, Nervi is the oldest winery in the Gattinara DOCG area. Our porphyry and clay rich vineyards cover 24.5 hectares of Nebbiolo vines at the Alpine foothills of Monte Rosa, in steep, south facing slopes. True to the area’s tradition, we prune and harvest by hand and make fine red wine using large oak casks for both fermentation and aging. In 2011 four Norwegian families, joined by their passion for wine and viticulture, bought the estate. Our chief oenologist Enrico Fileppo ensures adherence to tradition with 30 years of Nervi winemaking experience and many award winning vintages. Erling Astrup tasted his first Nervi Molsino in 1995 while studying at Bocconi. The austere and elegant Nebbiolo palate stuck with him and in 2011 the dream of owning his own Gattinara vineyard came true. He acquired a majority of Nervi and teamed up with Christopher Moestue who bought 25 per cent. Moestue is already an owner in Cornas in the Rhône Valley and Volnay in Burgundy, as well as an importer of fine wine to Norway. 04 DEEP rootS IN North PIEDMONT Luigi Nervi’s brother-in-law Guido Ferretti founded Nervi in 1906. The brother of Margherita Nervi was a tanner by profession, but bundled own goods with his father’s wine from the Valferana vineyard to the customers of his tannery. The Valferana wine proved popular on Guido’s route between Lago Maggiore and Biella and soon Guido brought Luigi Nervi into the business. When few dared to invest in the land in this area, Luigi and his only son Italo kept on buying vines. By Italo’s death in 1975 Nervi counted 24.5 hectares of Nebbiolo in prime south facing positions within the Gattinara DOCG appelation. Photo1: Nervi’s stand at the wine fair in Borgomanero in 1923. At this event Nervi won gold medals for the Nervi Superiore da Pasto and the Nervi Gattinara Vecchio. Luigi Nervi stands on the right while his 10-year-old son Italo sits behind the desk on the left. Photo 2: The Nervi family outside our winery in Corso Vercelli in 1920, one year after Luigi Nervi bought the premises. Margherita and Luigi Nervi stand in the doorway while Italo sits on the barrel. Photo 3: Gattinara in the 1930s, Italo Nervi with friends at Castelle, when vines seemed to cover every inch of the Alpine foothills. 3 2 1 Terroir - TERRE DEL MONTE ROSA 07 The high wall of Monte Rosa, Europe’s second highest mountain, protects from northerly winds, provides adequate rain and a steady thermic breeze through the south facing vineyards. Clay content is high, only paralleled by that of Serralunga in Barolo, while volcanic gravel and the absence of chalk give acidic soil conditions. The volcanic gravel was shaped 25 kilometers below the ground in the Permian period, 280 million years ago, when the Valsesia Supervulcano erupted and formed a 130 square kilometer crater north of Gattinara. When Africa collided with Europe to form Monte Rosa about 60 million years ago, these rare metamorphic rocks surfaced as gravel on the slopes of Monte Rosa. Thereafter, a sea level 170 meters above today’s, melting glaciers and wild torrents washed most of the gravel away. But on Gattinara’s higher slopes the gravel remained to form a unique terroir, perfectly suited for Nebbiolo. “At its best, nebbiolo is one of the world’s greatest red varieties, producing wines of considerable structure and power, despite their relatively light color. Because of its perfumed complexity, it is sometimes compared with pinot noir, but nebbiolo is a more brooding, tightly wound wine, with smoky, mysterious undertones,” from “North Piedmont saves the best wine for last” by Eric Pfanner, The New York Times Global March 2013. regions. The vineyard can be traced back to 1231 when Rufinus Musso signed a pergamum and sold his vines in Valferana to pay the dowry for his sister Delia. The Molsino vineyard is a ten hectar, south facing 08 HIStoric AND SCENIC vineyardS natural amphitheatre. It takes its name from Mursin, meaning soft in the North Piedmontese dialect. In a Nervi’s 24.5 hectares of Nebbiolo vines embrace pergamum from 1471, the Molsino vineyard is called the south facing Casacce, Garavoglie, Molsino and “Vigne ad Molexinum”, and tax-records from 1533 Valferana vineyards. Common to all four is abundant value these vines at 10-12 Lira per sapatura (square of clay and volcanic gravel – the origin of Nervi wines` rare 100 plants) – placing them among Gattinara’s highest longevity and minerality. The vines, mostly between valued. The five hectar Garavoglie vineyard, originally 10 and 40 years of age, go from 300 to 420 meters called Molsinetto, was renamed when bought by noble above sea level. In the lots exceeding 40 years of age, man Angelo Garavoglia da Cigliano in 1679. the occasional Uva Rara and Vespolina plant appears among the Nebbiolo, reflecting the mixed planting “The majestic Molsino, the captivating vineyard and practices of a bygone era. We deploy Guyot training proud century-old heritage of the historical wine and prune and harvest by hand. Ettore Bornate who producer Nervi... can only be reached by crossing a leads our team in the vineyards joined Nervi in 1973. small forest which, over time, has grown to replace old His first task was to replant Garavoglie. Those vines vineyards. Whomever visits the Molsino [amphitheatre] are still producing, underlining Nervi’s commitment to for the first time has no idea of the sight to be seen – sustainable viticulture. with the mighty Monte Rosa, of a Himalayan profile, that seems to have been positioned on purpose to guard Our award winning Nervi Valferana takes its grapes this spectacular amphitheatre from behind. This is the from the mineral rich Valferana vineyard. The most significant of settings for vineyards of Northern manganese level in this vineyard is particularly high, Piedmont where Nebbiolo grapes give us one of its approaching six times that of other Nebbiolo producing gems - the Gattinara”. Bibenda/AIS 2014. THE CELLARS 11 In our 19th century vaulted subterranean cellars the temperature is low and stable. Oscillations are limited to four degrees Celsius between the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. Nervi uses only large oak casks (botte) for aging. They range from 750 to 8,000 litres in capacity, are made in Slavonian and Black Forest oak, and total 400,000 litres. For the joining and stabilisation of blends, we use subterranean cement tanks, ranging from 5,000 to 16,000 litres. Only indigenous yeasts are used and the malolactic fermentation starts naturally in the first spring following harvest. Conical oak vats (tini) are used to ferment and macerate the single vineyard wines Nervi Molsino and Nervi Valferana. These traditional fermentation vats have no temperature control beyond the inertia inherent in their thick oak staves. Thus vinification and aging is performed in much the same way as when Luigi Nervi jointed the company in 1906, barring the introduction of peristaltic pumps and a modern bottling plant. Nervi Gattinara – aged minimum three years in large oak casks. “Nervi has a cellar of treasures from the past like the sublime Nervi Gattinara, a discovery...” Cuisine et vins de France March 2013. Nervi Valferana – aged minimum four years in large 14 TIMELESS WINEMAKING oak casks. More than 100 years of wine making experience has “A great example of a Gattinara loyal to the terroir. taught us that only through long aging do we manage Articulated scents of fruits and minerals, red berries to transform Gattinara’s high level of tannins into and bitter citrus, iron and graphite. Austere and rigorous a well balanced wine. The Gattinara DOCG aging it commands attention. Prodigal of emotions for those requirement is three years of which two in wood. searching the nuances,” Bibenda Guida ai Migliori Vini Hence Luigi Nervi’s motto: Nectar in tempore – d’Italia – Italian Sommelier Association 2013. implying patient aging in Nervi’s cellars will transform Nervi Molsino our Nebbiolo grapes into the prized elixir that made – aged minimum four years in large oak Roman goods immortal. casks. Our two crus are made only in exceptional years by “Vigneto Molsino, the historic and prestigious cru from picking the best grapes in the Molsino and Valferana which Nervi derives its best grapes, presents itself with vineyards. Nervi Gattinara is made from the best grapes a beautiful, transparent, intense and brilliant ruby red. of the Casacce and Garavoglie vineyards as well as The nose begins with discreet balsamic and vanilla, grapes from Molsino and Valferana. The bunches are merged with sweet fruit and juicy cherries and plums, gently destemmed and pressed. The maceration is moving on to memories of herbs. After a sinuous entry long, minimum 20 days, and is performed in oak and into the mouth, the wine moves between the sweetness steel vats. of ripe fruit and the tension of the tannin structure, until the alcoholic power, typical of this vintage, melts the suspense and the palate experiences the same complexity of stimuli already enjoyed by the nose.” Vini d’Italia 2005, Slow Food Editore Gambero Rosso. A NEBBIOLO FOR every occaSION 17 Nervi Gattinara Cardinale Nervi Rosa The Nervi Gattinara Cardinale is Nervi’s most traditional Our rosé is made from Nebbiolo with up to 20 per cent expression of Gattinara’s terroir. The label stems Uva Rara. After 6-7 hours the must is separated from from the 1940s and shows Cardinale Mercurino the skins by bleeding (Saignée method). Fermentation Arborio di Gattinara (1465-1530) holding a bunch of occurs with indigenous yeasts in steel vats.